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entran sra'rns PATENT ernten.

ALVA B. TAYLOR, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

MACHINERY FOR FOIIEtlVIINGrl HAT-BODIES.

Specification of' Letters Patent No. 15,443, dated J' lily 29, 1856.

To alf whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVA B. TAYLOR, of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Manufacturing Hat-Bodies, and that the following is a full,'clear, and exact description of my said invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a side elevation of my improved hat body machine; Fig. 2 represents an end elevation of the same; Fig. 8 represents a longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 4 a horizontal section of the draft box hereinafter describedyFig. 5 is a plan vof the scolloped edged wheel and reciprocating bar hereinafter described; and Fig. 6 is a plan of that part of the picker frame supporting the picking cylinders.

Various machines have been constructed for manufacturing hat bodies which operate upon the general plan of first disseminating the fur or other stock in a f'locculent state kin the air, and afterward collecting it upon the surface of a perforated conical former by means of the currents of air induced by exhausting the air within the conical former. The conical bat thus collected upon the perforated former has generally been hardened by a subsequent process. In these machines the dissemination of thev fur in the air is effected by means of a picker, or toothed cylinder, or cylindrical brush, which revolves at a high velocity and to which the fur is presented by a suitable feeding apparatus or feed motion. In machines heretofore constructed upon this principle the perforated cone has generally been set in a vertical position, or with its axis at right angles to the picking cylinder, in order that it might readily be removed from the machine to permit the hat body to be hardened by a subsequent process. In one case the cone has indeed been set in a horizontal position, but a vibratory motion has been .imparted to it which unfits the machine for the automatic hardening of the bat; thus rendering it necessary to effect this operation by a sub sequent process. Moreover in this case it has been found necessary to combine the picking cylinder and the cone with a vibrating trunk or directrice, which is inserted between the cone and the picker, and which increases the complexity of the machine.

In hat body machines the speed at which the hat body is formedis limited by the` speed at which the fur can be fed to the picking cylinder; because, if the fur is fed too rapidly, it is not properly picked. In order to increase the speed one constructor of the usual construction, each accompanied with an appropriate feed motion. In this case the difficulty of feeding is much increased, and it is also necessary to use some means for combining the two distinct currents of fur produced by the two pickers, so as to deliver it upon the cone.

The object of my inventionis to obviate the defects of preexisting machines in a simple manner, so as to diminish the complexity7 of the machinery and at the same time increase its efficiency and facilitate its operation.

It consists, first, in a new combination of the feed motion, picking cylinder, and perforated cone, in which the latter is set directly in front ofthe picker and with yits axis nearly parallel or thereabout thereto, but has no vibratory motion imparted to it, while at the same time no trunk or directrice is interposed between the two. The machine is thus not only rendered more simple but is well adapted to the automatic hardening of the bat by means of suitable machinery, without removing the cone from the machine, as the position of the cone is not varied while the fur is collecting upon it.

The object of the second portion of my invention is to enable me to form a hat body with greater speed and at the same time to pick the stock more effectually without rendering the feeding of the machine more troublesome; and it consists in combining with the ordina-ry picking cylinder a second picking cylinder which runs in the opposite direction to the first one and which removes the fur which would otherwise tend to adhere to the surface of the first, picks it thoroughly, and delivers itin such manner that the fur from the two picking cylinders forms one current whose direction is controlled by lhas attempted to use two complete pickers the positions of the two cylinders. There V are also other improvements in the arrangement and construction of the machinery devised by me which will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings A is the frame of the picker upon which the picking cylinder and the feed motion are mounted and to which the shafts are secured by means of which motion is imparted to the various parts of the machine. The upper portion a of this picker frame is made sep arate from the lower and is attached to the latter by hinges or pivots so that the end of the upper portion of the frame at which the picking cylinder B is situated can be raised or depressed to adjust the position of the picking cylinder to perforated cones of different dimensions. This adjustment of the upper portion of the picker frame is effected.

by turning a screw b which passes through a nut that is made fast to a cross bar c of the lower portion of the picker frame and bears against a cross bar 0 that connects together the sides of the upper portion of the picker frame.

The upper portion of the frame is steadied and guided as it is raised or depressed by guide pins which project downward from the upper cross bar o through corresponding holes in the lower cross bar c. The feed motion consists of an endless band or apron C which runs upon two rollers Z cZ situated near the opposite extremities of the upper portion a, of the picker frame. One of these rollers Z has a pulley wheel D secured to its axle to receive a belt by which a rotary motion is imparted to the roller from the main shaft E at the lower part of the frame.

The feed apron conveys the stock to a pair of feed rollers e c which are situated immediately in front of the picking cylinder B. Motion is imparted to the lower 0f these feed rollers from the shaft of the feed apron roller CZ, by means of a belt which encircles a belt pulley secured to the shaft and a corresponding one upon the axle of the feed roller. The upper roller is driven from the lower by means of a pair of pinions whose teeth engage, and which are secured to the axles of the respect-ive feed rollers. In order that the feed rollers may grip the fur more securely, the upper one should b-e pressed toward the lower by springs or weights and the barrels of the two rollers should be slightly fluted.

The feed rollers immediately precede the picking cylinders B and B', whose barrels are longer than those of the feed rollers, and are studded with teeth which act upon the fur presented to them by rollers. This difference in the relative `lengths .of the barrels of the picking cylinders and feed rollers is made up in the machine herein represented by thickening the cheeks of the frame on their inner sides at the points where the gudgeons of the feed rollers are fitted to them.

The main picking cylinder B revolves in close proximity with the feed rollers in the direction indicated by the arrow applied to it in the drawing, and it takes the fur directly from them. The secondarypicking cylinder B is situated above the main one and revolves in close proximity therewith7 but in the opposite direction as indicated by t-he arrow applied to it in the drawing. The journals of the secondary picker are supported in a pair of adjustable cheeks S, S, which are pivoted concentrically with the axis of the main picker B, so that the secondary cylinder can be moved concentrically with the axis of the main cylinder and that the direction of the common tangent of the two cylinders, which extends in a direction perpendicular to the line which joins their two axes, can be varied. The adjustable cheeks, which support, the journals of the secondary picker, have circular slots in them through which clamp screws v are passed by which the cheekslare secured in their proper positions.

The picking cylinders should be driven at a high speed; in the machine represented in the accompanying drawings motion is imparted to them from the counter shaft E, by means of a belt which encircles a suitable pulley secured to the counter shaft and passes in reversed directions over corresponding pulleys secured to the shaft of the picking cylinders. The counter shaft E is driven from the main shaft by means of cog wheels secured to the respective shafts. A guard T is inserted between the barrel of the picking cylinders and the upper feed roller to prevent the fur from being accidentally passed over the latter to the picking cylinders. y

The perforated cone G which receives the fur from the picking cylinder forms one of a series of three, G G G, which project radially from a pyramidal draft-box I-I. This draft-box is supported by a fan case I, which is sufficiently large to form a firm base for the draft-box as well as to contain the fan by which the draft is maintained through the perforations of the cones. The draft box has a collar. plate i at its bottom which fits loosely upon a corresponding collar on the top of the fan case I beneath the draft-box, in such manner that the draft box with the cones upon it can be turned upon its axis to bring each cone in succession in the proper position to receive the flocculent fur from the picking cylinder. In order to hold the draft-box with the cones upon itstationary until the proper quantity of fur is collected upon the cone opposite the picker, one of its corners is engaged with a spring catch g which is secured to the top of the fan case. The circular space within the collar plates is open so as to permit a free draft from the interior of the draft-box to the fan case beneath. A circular opening is also made in each face of the draft-box behind the base of each perforated cone so as to permit the draft 1tje be drawn through the cone into the draft- Each perforated cone is made fast by a rim at its base to a ring plate f, whose face is suiiiciently broad to receive perforated cones of the various sizes used in the manufacture of hat bodies, and the ring plate is secured to a short shaft y' that projects radially outward from the axis of the draftbox. The inner journal of each. of .these radiating shaftsis supported in a hub 7c at the center of the draft box and the outer journal of each shaft is supported by a bridge tree m which' crosses the opening in the face of the draft-box. The radiating shafts are fitted with beveled wheels J whose teeth engage with those of a corresponding beveled wheel J that is secured to an upright shaft K passing through the hub of the draft-box. This upright shaft extends upward sufficiently to pass through and project a short distance beyond the top of the draft-box; it also extends downward into the fan-case beneath, where it is iitted with a worm wheel Z to which motion is imparted by a worm Z upon a horizontalshaft E2. The fan M by which the draft is maintained is of the screw variety. It is situated at the mouth of a circular opening in a partition L which crosses the fan case and divides it into two parts, thelarger of which communicates by the opening in the collar plates with the draft box above, while the smaller communicates with an air trunk situated beneath the floor of the factory; so that the air drawn from the perforated cones through the draft box and larger compartment of the fan case is discharged into the smaller compartment, from which it escapes through the air trunk.

The fan shaft E3 is fitted. with a belt pulley and is driven from the counter-shaft E of the picker frame by means of a belt which also passes over a pulley upon the worm shaft E2 and drives the latter.

The axis of the draft box is inclined, in order that when the draft box is turned upon the collar plates the perforated cones 'may readily pass beneath the picking cylinders; the draft box is also set close to the picker frame so that the perforated cone upon which the fur from the picker is received is separated by no greater space from the latter than is necessary to permit the perforated cones to pass the picker frame when the draft-box is turned. The inclination of the axis of the draft box requires a corresponding inclination in the upright shaft K which is suflicient to p-ermit the teeth of the worm wheel to work freely in the worm without requiring to be skewed.

As has been stated there are three perforated cones, Gt G1 G2, upon the draft box; one of these G, Figs. l and 2, is in the proper position to receive the fur delivered by the picking cylinder, being opposite thereto and extending lengthwise therewith,

that portion of the conical surface which is nearest to the picking cylinder being slightly oblique thereto as shown in the aocompanying drawings. This position of the cone with reference to the picker is attained by setting the radiating shaft y' at a suitable inclination to the upright shaft K, and the draft box is made of pyramidal form in order to accommodate its-sides to the position of the base o-f the cone of the other two cones, one G1, is in a proper position forY the hardening of the coating of fur, or bat, which has collected upon it. This hardening is effected by the combined action of pressure and motion. The pressure is imparted in this instance by means of a conical cone G3 which lies loosely upon the bat upon which cover a series of weighted rollers N rest. A rapid reciprocating movement is imparted to the cover by means of a bar O which slides radially to and fro across the top of the draft box. The outer extremity of this reciprocating bar is fitted with an arm n that projects downward and is received in a ring groove which is formed in a boss 0 secured to the head of the cover. The inner half of the reciprocating bar has two pins i" 1 projecting from its upper face which are acted upon alternately by the scolloped rim of a wheel P that is secured to the upper end of the upright shaft K. The reciprocating bar is prevented from turning with the scolloped wheel P by a guide standard g in which the outer end of the reciprocating bar slides, while its inner extremity is maintained in its proper position by the upright shaft K which passes through a slot in the bar; hence as the upright shaft and the scolloped wheel upon it revolve, a short and rapid, or tremulous, reciprocating movement is imparted to the reciprocating bar O, and from it by means of the arm a at its outer end to the cover G3 that is borne upon the bat by the weight of the rollers N.

In order that the hardened bat may be readily removed from the perforated cone a blast of air is forced through the cone into the interior of the bat. This blast of air is obtained from the fan in the fan case beneath in the following manner. The interior of the draft-box is divided by three radial partitions s, s, s, which extend inward to the central hub lc, into three divisions, one of which corresponds with each perforated cone. That portion o-f each radial partition which is above the circular opening in the collar plates t' and below the central hub 7c is cut away so as to leave the cylindrical space above the circular opening in the collar plates unobstructed. A curved partition Z projects upward into this cylindrical space from the fan case beneath. This curved partition is secured by its lower edge to the collar plate upon the fan case and it is of such height and breadth that it closes the space between two of the radial partitions s, s, and shuts off one division of the draft box and the perforated cone communicating therewith from the remaining two, so that the draft passing to the fan case cannot be drawn .thro-ugh the perforated cone whose base is adjacent to Ithe curved partition. That portion of the top of-the fan case, which is immediately beneath the division of the draft boX from which the draft is shut off, is cut away, so as to form a communication between this division of the draft box and the smaller compartment of the fan case into which the fan discharges air; hence a portion of the air forced by the fan into the smaller compartment of the fan case, and tending to escape therefrom, finds its way upward into the cone, and passing through the perforations thereof, presses upon the interior of the hat body and assists its disengagement from the cone.

The various parts of the machinery thus described are caused to move by imparting a rotary motion to the main shaft E from the prime mover of the manufactory. When the machine is in operation the feed apron, feed rolls, picking cylinders, and perforated cones move in the directions re spectively indicated by the arrows in the drawings. A weighed quantity of fur or other suitable stock, sufficient to form one hat body, is laid by the attendant upon the feed apron and is conveyed by it to the feed rollers which present it to the main picking cylinder. The latter in its rapid revolution picks the fur and carries it around with it until the fur is deflected by meeting the current produced by the upper picking cylinder. As the fur naturally tends to adhere to the teeth of the main picking cylinder, especially when fed rapidly, a portion of it would be carried entirely around with the main picking cylinder as it would be in all pickers with which I am acquainted for any purpose unless some means were employed to prevent this effect; but in my machine the secondary picking cylinder revolving above the main one takes from the latter the fibers which are carried between the two and carries them around until they meet the current produced by the main picking cylinder; the two currents then unite and pass from the two cylinders in the direction of the common tangent to the two or in a line perpendicular to that which unites the axes of the two cylinders as indicated by the red lines in Fig. 3.

`When the fur leaves the picking appara tus it is drawn toward the perforated cone immediately opposite thereto. As this cone slowly revolves, the flocculent fur collects upon it until the charge upon the feed apron is exhausted. At this part of the operation the attendant stops the feed apron upon which he has meanwhile been distributing a second charge which is separated by a short vacant space from the first one. As soon as the whole of the fur is collected upon the perforated cone an attendant applies a cover to the bat and then turns the draft-box one third around; this movement brings a second cone in the proper position to receive fur from the picker while the first one with the bat and exterior cone upon it is brought to the hardening apparatus where the pressure applied bythe cover combined with the t-remulous movement imparted to it, induces a rapid felting of the fiber of fur and the consequent hardening of the bat. This operation proceeds so quickly that by the time the second cone has received a charge of fur upon it from the picking cylinder the bat upon the first one is sufiiciently hardened to bear handling witho-ut injury. The draft box is now turned a second third of a revo lution, by which movement the third cone is presented to the picking cylinder, the second one passes to the hardening apparatus, and the first with its hardened bat is freed from the hardening apparatus and is in the proper position for the removal of the bat. This last operation is effected by shaking the cover by hand, when the pressure of the air within the cone detaches the hardened bat, so that it may be readily withdrawn with the cover, leaving the perforated cone free and ready to be again presented to the picking cylinder. After the hardened bat or hat body is removed from the machine the hardening process may be carried to a greater extent by wrapping the bat in a damp linen cloth and working it by hand in the same manner that bats are worked in the manufacture of hat bodies by hand. The dimensions of the cover G3 with respect to the bat are not important provided that it be large enough topass easily over it, as the object of the cover is not to confine the fur but to impart pressure and motion to it. If the cover be of nearly the same size as the bat it should be perforated to permit the air to press upon the bat, but if the cover be five or siX inches larger in diameter than the bat it is not necessary that it should be perforated as there will then be sufiicient space for air to pass inside of the cover.

From the foregoing description it will be perceived that the perforated cone is directly opposite the picking cylinder, hence the fur which proceeds from any one p0rtion of the picking cylinder lodges upon a corresponding opposite portion of the perforated cone, and if it be necessary to increase the thickness of the bat at any particular part of the perforated cone the opthat part of the picking cylinder which delivers fur to the part of the perforated cone where the bat is to be made t-hickest. And, on the other hand, less fur is fed to that part of the picking cylinder which delivers fur to the part of t-he perforated cone where the bat is to be made thin and which is usually the head or tip.

The location and arrangement of the cone for receiving the coating in my machine with reference to the picking apparatus and feed-motion is one of the characteristics which distinguishes my invention from those which have preceded me.

I am aware that conical forms for hat bodies, like those of the well known machinery for making wool hat bodies, have been set with their axes in a horizontal position or thereabouts when the stock of which the hat body is formed is delivered from cylinders also horizontal; but in such cases in order that a proper thickness of stock should be collected upon different portions of the conical former it has been found necessary not only to turn the latter upon its aXis but also to impart to it an oscillating or vibratory movement so as to change its position while the coating is being collected upon it. Such a combination of a moving conical former with apparatus to deliver stock is clearly distinguished from my invention which consists in locating the perforated cone to receive the fur opposite the picker and arranging it with its axis lengthwise therewith in such manner that all oscillating or vibratory movement is dispensed with and that the posit-ion of the perforated cone with respect to the picker is not changed while the fur or other stock is being collected upon it.

rIhe two picking cylinders working in connection upon the same stock pick it effectually, as the large ocks of stock whose bers are not separated by the teeth of the main picking cylinder are acted upon by the teeth of the secondary picking cylinder. As the stock is thus subjected to a duplex picking process its fibers are more thoroughly desseminated than is practicable when a single picking cylinder is employed; the stock may also be fed at a faster rate, and consequently a larger amount of work may be effected in a given time without requiring any additional care or trouble in the feeding of the stock, as but one feed apron is employed. The employment of the duplex picking apparatus is also attended with another advantage; as has been before said, the fur passes from it in a direction which is perpendicular to the line which joins the It will be evident to the skilful mechanic that various changes may be made in the machinery described by me without materially alfecting the principle of my invention and I reserve to myself the right to make such changes as circumstances may require.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The combination of a perforated cone, picking apparatus and feeding apparatus located and arranged as described.

2. The combination with a main picking cylinder of a secondary picking cylinder operating substantially as herein set forth. j

3. The pyramidal draft box constructed substantially as herein set forth in combination with a fan and fan case for generating the currents of air.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

ALVA B. TAYLOR,

Witnesses:

GEO. M. TAYLOR, E. CHAPIN. 

